Sump outlet valve for manure spreaders



Aug. 30, 1955 Filed Dec. 18, 1952 E. w. JOHNSON 2,716,552

SUMP OUTLET VALVE FOR MANURE SPREADERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 l0 0 l2 o IElmer W Johnson INVENTOR.

Aug. 30, 1955 E. w. JOHNSON 2,716,552

SUM OUTLET VALVE FOR MANURE SPREADERS Filed Dec. 18, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.3

Elmer W. Johnson INVENTOR.

United States Patent SUMP OUTLET VALVE FOR MANURE SPREADERS Elmer W.Johnson, Nelson, Minn.

Application December 18, 1952, Serial No. 326,716

2 Claims. (Cl. 2753) This invention relates to new and usefulimprovements in manure spreader attachments and the primary object ofthe present invention is to provide a remote actuator for the sumpoutlet valve of a spreader which is operatively connected to theconveyor control lever of the spreader so that during operation of theconveyor the sump outlet will remain open.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide anautomatic lever for manure spreaders including linkage which isoperatively connected to the pull rod of a sump outlet valve and thecontrol lever of the spreader conveyor to be actuated as the controllever is moved to a position for engaging the conveyor drive mechanism.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a sump outletvalve actuator that is quickly and readily applied to or removed from aconventional spreader to be actuated by the usual control lever of thespreader.

A still further aimof the present invention is to provide a device ofthe aforementioned character that is extremely simple and practical inconstruction, strong and reliable in use, small and compact instructure, efiicient and durable in operation, inexpensive tomanufacture, assemble and service, and otherwise well adapted for thepurposes for which the same is intended.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a spreader and showing the presentinvention operatively attached thereto;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary bottom plan view resents a wellknown manure spreader which includes an elongated body or hopper 12having a sump outlet 14 in its bottom. A sump outlet control disk valve16 is secured to the hopper 12 by a. spring tension pivot 18 forhorizontal swinging into open and closed positions and is provided withan arm 20 to which a pull rod 22 is slidably pivotally attached formanual operation to swing said valve 16. A latch support 24 secured tothe hopper 12 slidably receives the pull rod 22 to guide the same as itis pulled for opening the disk valve 16.

The spreader 10 is also provided with a control lever 26 that is securedto one end of a handle rotated shaft 28. The lower end of the controllever 26 is secured by a fastener 32 to the forward end of a control rodof a chain drive 29 for the spreader so that as the lever 26 is swungforwardly to the position shown in Figures 1 and 2, the conveyor 34 ofthe spreader will be rendered inoperative and when the lever 26 is swungrearwardly the conveyor 34 will be rendered operative.

The present invention does not attempt to claim the above well knownconventional structure but is merely an attachment therefor, whereby thedisk valve 16 will be moved to open the outlet 14 when the conveyor isin operation so that the fluid manure in the hopper can drain from theoutlet 14 without requiring an operator to descend from the tractor tooperate the pull rod 22.

To accomplish the desired results, there is provided a triangular plate36 having first, second and third corners 38, 40 and 42, each of whichis provided with an aperture. An angle bracket 44 is secured to the sideof hopper 12 opposite the latch 24 by a fastener 45 and supports avertical pivot pin or bolt 46 that extends through the aperture incorner 40 to pivotally attach the plate 36 in horizontal position to thebracket 44.

The eye end 48 of a pull link 50 is pivotally attached to the corner 38of plate 36 by a pivot pin 52. The other end of link 50 terminates in aclosed loop 54 that engages about the pull rod 22. The loop 54 isadapted to selectively engage spaced stops 56 and 58 secured to the rod22 in a manner presently to be described.

A pitman or rod connects the plate 36 to the operating lever 26. Therear eye end 62 of the pitman is pivoted to corner 42 of plate 36 by apivot 64 and the forward eye end 66 of pitman 60 receives and is held onthe fastener 32. A combined stop and spacer element 68 is fixed to thepitman 60 and will engage the hopper as the pitman 60 is moved forwardlyto pivot the disk valve 16 to its closed position.

Referring now to the operation of my invention, when the lever 26 isswung forwardly into the position shown in Figures 1 and 2, the pitman60 is pulled forwardly to pivot the plate 36 clockwise as viewed inFigure 3 and counter-clockwise as viewed in Figure 4 into the full lineposition shown in Figure 3 and the dotted line position shown in Figure4. Such pivoting of the plate 36 exerts a pull on the link 50 whichpulls against the stop 56 so that rod 22 thrusts against arm 20 to swingdisk valve 16 into closing position relative to the sump outlet 14, allas shown in dotted lines in Figures 3 and 4.

When the lever 26 is swung rearwardly from the front end 10a of thespreader, the pitman 60 is thrust rearwardly thereby to swing plate 36into the dotted line position shown in Figure 3 and full line positionshown in Figure 4 and such swinging of said plate 36 will thrust loop 54of link 50 into engagement with stop 58 to thrust rod 22 in a directionto pull against arm 20 to swing said disk valve 60 to open position asshown in dotted lines in Figure 3 and in full lines in Figure 4.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will bereadily understood, and further explanation is believed to beunnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction shown and described, andaccordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resortedto, falling within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is:

1. In a manure spreader having a hopper provided with a bottom sumpoutlet, a disk valve pivoted to said hopper and horizontally swingablein opposite directions to open and close said outlet, a rod pivoted tosaid valve and pivotally and slidably connected to said hopper forendwise movement in opposite directions to correspondingly swing saidvalve, and a pivoted upright lever on the hopper swingable in oppositedirections; an attachment for said spreader for operatively connectingsaid lever to said rod for endwise movement of the rod in oppositedirections by swinging of the lever in opposite directions comprising aa triangular plate having corners, a pivotal mounting for one corner ofthe plate attachable to the hopper, a pitman having one end pivoted toanother corner of said plate and its other end pivotally attachable tosaid lever for movement of said pitman in opposite directions bysaidlever to pivot said plate in opposite directions, a pair of stopsattachable to said rod in spaced relation, and a link having one endpivoted to another corner of said plate and its other end pivotally andslidably attachable to said rod between said stops whereby pivoting ofthe plate in opposite directions will correspondingly move said rod.

2. In a manure spreader according to claim 1, and a stop on said pitmanengageable with said hopper to limit movement of the pitman in onedirection.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTStebbins Dec. 28, 1909 Schellenger June 18, 1912 Seaman Aug, 27, 1912Bauer Nov. 16, 1943 Acton Oct. 18, 1949 Neighbour et al Apr. 18, 1950Heltzel May 12, 1953

